The garment in question has drawn the ire of middle America for featuring an upside-down US flag.
A$AP Rocky might be celebrating the release of At. Long. Last. A$AP, but he’s also fielding controversy caused by a line of T-shirts designed in collaboration with US retailer PacSun.
The T-shirt unfortunately features an upside-down US flag, a sign of disrespect and a breach of the United States Flag Code, which states that the US flag should only be hung upside down “as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” Though this has been part of the A$AP Mob imagery for some time, it didn’t go down too well over the Memorial Day weekend when veterans are celebrated.
“As a retailer grounded in youth culture, PacSun values artistic and creative expression through the brands that we sell in our stores,” read a statement from the company on Facebook. “Out of respect for those who have put their lives on the line for our country, we have decided to stop selling the licensed flag t-shirt and are removing it from our stores and website immediately. We thank the men and women in uniform for their extraordinary service.”
A$AP Rocky’s not the only person to become embroiled in a music clothing-related controversy this year – in March H&M was falsely accused of elaborately faking underground, neo-Nazi metal bands to promote a clothing line. [via Stereogum]